Rafael is a Senior Researcher at the International Policy Centre for Inclusive Growth (IPC-IG) and the Brazilian Institute for Applied Economic Research (Ipea). He holds a PhD in Sociology from the University of Brasilia and has coordinated research and published works on poverty, inequality and social policies in Brazil and internationally. Rafael has also served the Brazilian Federal Government as Adviser to the Minister of the Special Secretariat for Strategic Affairs of the Presidency of the Republic (2014-2015), as Ipea’s Director of Social Policies and Studies (2012-2014), and as Ipea’s Coordinator of Studies on Social Security and Demography (2010-2012). Before assuming his current responsibilities at the Brazilian Government, he worked as a UNDP Researcher at the IPC-IG (2004-2009).